The boys walked around one of the Lavaridge Town neighborhoods. The effects of the onsen still lingered, everybody feeling calmer than usual. Benedict tossed one of his Poké Balls in his hands; deep in thought about his next gym battle.
Kidd looked over his shoulder; hey, this store looked interesting. He saw a few well-dressed animals go in and out; it must be a coordinator store…
Tank looked back at his friends
"So, where do you guys wanna go now?"
"Well" Kidd stopped walking. "I was thinking I'd check out that place over there"
He pointed at a pink and green building with cherry blossoms carved into the door. A sign read "Spring Blossoms; Be One in the new Sun Beam!"
"An' after that fight"
Benedict held up one of his Poké Balls. "I'm feelin' ready for the gym!"
"How about you guys go there then?" Tank said to his friends. "I might work on some art later"
Spring Blossoms had a cheery aesthetic; fitting a coordinator store. Bright pink walls with cherry blossoms painted everywhere, dark green floors, and countless shelves filled with colorful goods. Kidd's eyes sparkled in delight; if he could, he'd spend all day in here!
"Can I help you find something?" a beige wolf asked. He wore a striped shirt and khaki shorts. The nametag on his chest read 'Chief Costner'.
Kidd looked at the wolf;
"Hey, this was the guy from the onsen", he thought. Oh, right, contests.
"Well I'm not sure where to start actually"
Kidd looked around, nervously grabbing his scarf. "I mean, I've never entered a contest with this specific Pokemon"
"Which one are you planning on using?"
Chief placed a paw on one of the shelves.
"This one"
Kidd pulled a Poke Ball out and released Libra. The psychic Pokemon hovered in her spot, her paws tightly clasped around her spoon.
"Ah, very nice" Chief looked up and down at Libra. "Yes, she's definitely the clever type"
"Kada?" Libra tilted her head in confusion. The heck is a clever type, she's a psychic type!
Chief led the duo to another section of the store. One of the shelves was lined with green candies and accessories. Several pairs of glasses hung from a display case nearby.
"So what does this stuff do again?" Kidd asked as he looked at the Poké Blocks; huh, matcha flavor.
"Well; you see," Chief explained. "Poke Blocks enhance a Pokemon's best contest quality, or as some coordinators call it, its sheen. I highly recommend using these, especially with a Kadabra like yours"
"Hmm"
Kidd picked up a package of Poké Blocks. "I didn't use any of these for my last contest. Probably why I lost."
"Oh? Who'd you lose against?" Chief asked as he rummaged for something on the shelves. He pushed a few things to the side, then stopped his paws at a box.
"It was Klaus,"
Kidd shrugged. "Apparently he's a top coordinator AND a gym leader"
"Klaus? You mean, THE Klaus Zeusian?!"
Chief perked up as he pulled the box off the shelf
"You got to compete against him?! What was he like? Which Pokemon did he use?"
Kidd looked away. Sheesh, talk about pushy.
"Well, he used a Luvdisc named Cupid"
"That makes sense" Chief pulled a magazine out of the box. "I wouldn't take the loss too hard then"
"It sucked, but"
Kidd shrugged. "I was happy a guy I knew lost too"
"Who was the guy? Anyone in particular?" Chief put the magazine back down. He pulled out a book; the cover read 'Purple Surprise Comeback'.
"Just a guy I went to school with," Kidd frowned. "His name's Raymond and I HATE him. He's always picking on me and my friends, and acting like he's better than everyone because he got a freaking Eevee as his first Pokémo!"
"Sounds like you got yourself a rival then"
Chief pointed out. "Trust me, you're not the first coordinator to have one"
"Really?" Kidd asked. "Who was your rival?"
Chief looked away and gulped
"I….don't want to talk about him" he shook his head, then changed the subject. "Speaking of contests, have you ever taken on a clever contest?"
"Wait, contests have different categories?"
Kidd felt confused; he never heard of THIS part of contests before. Oh did he have much to learn…
"Um. Yeah" Chief was stunned; what coordinator didn't know about contest categories?! Definitely had to be new to the scene...
"But I'll tell you about them. See, a cleverness contest judges a Pokemon by their intellect"
Kidd looked over at his Pokémon; Libra was reading a novel about an Alakazam that could escape even the most dangerous traps. Her nose twitched as she got deep into the story, imagining herself in the role of Alakazam. All eyes upon her, watching as she broke out of countless chains with just her mind alone.
"I'd say your Kadabra is perfect for cleverness"
Chief pointed out. "How strong are her psychic abilities?"
"Pretty good, but" Kidd explained. "A while back, she evolved to save one of my friends from falling off a cliff. Oh, she also can understand other Pokémon easily"
"Hmm, I see"
Chief watched as Libra kept reading the novel. It wasn't every day he saw a Pokémon read books, but a psychic type would make sense.
"Hey, Libra?" Kidd asked his Pokemon. "Want me to get that book for you?"
"Kada-bra!"
Libra folded the book shut. She nodded and handed it over to her trainer.
Kidd looked at the novel; it felt much heavier than his usual manga. He walked with Libra to get more things for the contest; some Poké Blocks, a pack of Pokemon accessories, and of course, a new outfit for himself.
Benedict stormed into the Lavaridge Town gym. The stone floors felt cool to the touch, while steam floated in the air. The walls were also made of stone, but had strange patterns engraved in them.
He stepped through the first path of the gym, but stopped in front of a pool of water. Huh. Water? But this is a fire type gym! Right? Maybe one of the past gym leaders used water types…
"Hey dude!"
A red and black dog walked up to him. She wore a tight black wetsuit with a white spider web pattern.
"You here for a battle?"
"Oh, howdy!"
Benedict waved to the dog. "An' heck yeah I am! But first, can y'all tell me why the gym's got so much water? I thought this was supposed to be a fire type gym!"
"Yep, sure can!"
The dog adjusted one of her earrings, before pointing down at the water.
"When Kenneth was the gym leader, he based the whole design off the hot springs. Cool, isn't it?"
Benedict nodded. Okay, yeah, being near a volcano would cause hot springs to form nearby, so whoever this Kenneth guy was had great ideas.
"Yeah, that actually makes sense! Thanks, um. What was y'all's name?"
"Cherry" the dog flicked one of her ears. "Cherry Jett"
"Benedict Sussex"
he introduced himself.
The two animals shook hands.
"Oh yea, just to letcha know" Cherry pointed out. "You're definitely gonna need a wetsuit for this gym"
"Yeah, any idea where I can get one?" Benedict asked as he looked around the gym.
"Right here"
Cherry grabbed his wrist and led him to a secluded area of the gym. The area had a clothing rack, a small changing room and a few benches. Several colorful wetsuits hung from the clothing rack.
Benedict walked up to the rack; he rummaged through for a wetsuit in his size. A-ha!
He pulled one off the rack; a long-sleeved wetsuit with a teal leaf pattern.
He walked into the changing room and changed into the wetsuit, looking away from the mirror the whole time. After stashing his clothes into his backpack, Benedict threw his bag over his shoulder and walked out.
"So, Cherry was it?" Benedict asked. "Y'all wanna battle now or what?"
Cherry looked up from the couch; she was in the middle of texting one of her friends
"Oh, sure!" she put her phone away. "I know this awesome spot"
The two animals walked to a spot in the middle of the gym. They stood on opposite ends, ready for battle.
Cherry held an orange and yellow Poké Ball to her chest before tossing it up and barking,
"Slugma, now!"
She released a red slug Pokemon. It looked like a smaller Magcargo, but had no shell on its back. Small red drops fell off its body, sizzling as they hit the ground.
Benedict looked quickly through his Poke Balls; hmm, who to use. Slugma definitely burns to the touch, so Kenshiro and Asuka are out of the picture. Jojo's also a fire type, so no chance of burning, but moves like Double Kick and Peck could only go so far. Freiza would be fun to use, but maybe for another battle…. Wait just a sec, Makoto knows moves that don't make contact!
"Makoto! Let's go!" he hollered before releasing his Pokemon.
"Kirrr-lia!"
Makoto spun in his spot, stopping to politely curtsy before striking a pose.
Cherry grinned as she pointed ahead, "Slugma, use Ancient Power!"
Slugma's body glowed indigo purple as he bobbed his head back and forth, with lilac flames flickering from the crown of his head. A halo of glowing white and grey boulders hovered in the air, growing bigger as Slugma threw his head forward and hurled them across the air.
Benedict stepped backwards as he shouted, "Makoto, dodge an' blast back with Confusion!"
"Kir!"
Makoto ducked his head and leaped upwards, but yelped as one of the rocks smacked him in the face. The boulders dissolved into dust and pebbles, flying across the battlefield like a meteor shower.
"Makoto! Y'all okay?!"
Benedict hollered as he ran up to his Pokémon
Makoto floated down, turning around to nod to his trainer in understanding. A faint red mark formed on his cheek, but it'll go away with proper care.
Benedict sighed in relief; thank goodness Makoto had the same fighting spirit as him. Let's get back to battle! He threw a fist in the air and yelled, "Now, keep it up and use Confusion!"
"Lia!"
Makoto jumped up and shot a telekinetic force from his hands. The magenta orb knocked Slugma back, forcing him to wobble in his spot like caramel flan.
Cherry slammed a fist against her palm
"Slugma! Fight back with Flamethrower!"
Slugma took a deep breath in, threw his head forward, and spat out a stream of tangerine orange fire. The flames shot through the air, exploding against Makoto's body.
Makoto backflipped through the air, panting as he tried to compose his balance. Makoto stood upright, his body glowing a soft shade of pink.
He cleared his mind of any negative thoughts, ready to finish this battle off.
Oh hey, this was a new move, awesome!
Benedict snapped his fingers
"Makoto! Finish 'im off with another Confusion!"
"Kirrrr—" Makoto screamed as he hurled another pink ball at Slugma's face.
"LIAAAAAAAAA!"
The energy exploded, throwing Slugma at the wall like a sticky hand. A black mark formed on the wall, joined by faint sizzling. The slug Pokémon fell from the wall, closing his eyes as he splayed out across the floor like melted ice cream.
Cherry stood on one knee, whistling to her Pokémon. "You wanna call it a day?" she asked.
"Sluuuug"
the slug Pokemon groaned back, his crest twitching slightly.
Cherry returned Slugma to his ball
"Hey, Benedict?" she called out.
"Yeah?"
Benedict asked as he hugged his Kirlia, patting him on the head for a job well done. Makoto chirped and trilled as he nuzzled his trainer's hoodie, proud of another battle gone well.
"That Kirlia's pretty great"
Cherry adjusted one of her earrings. "But, I was wondering; do you think he's gonna evolve soon?"
"Hmm,"
Benedict looked down at his Pokemon. "Maybe after my gym battle, yeah. But he decided he's evolvin' into a Gardevoir. Right, Makoto?"
"Kirrrr-lia!"
Makoto cheered as he fistbumped his trainer, returning himself to his Poké Ball without prompting.
"Hey, that's great to hear!" Cherry smiled. "Y'see, I asked 'cause one of my friends won a Dawn Stone in a raffle we entered, but we don't have any Pokémon to use it on"
"That sucks," Benedict said. "But Makoto already made up his mind, an' I'm stickin' to what he decides"
"Yooo! Cher!"
another girl yelled.
Benedict and Cherry looked over their shoulders; a pair of girls their age walked through the door. The two animals were a brown goat with bright blue horns, and a yellow and brown sheep with strange-looking blond hair.
Judging by their black and blue wetsuits, they looked to be fellow gym trainers.
"Oh, hi Pashmina!" Cherry waved to the goat.
"How'd your lunch break go?"
"Pretty good,"
Pashmina shrugged. "You should've seen how many bowls of shoyu ramen Frita cleared off. Right?" she winked at the other girl.
The sheep snorted as she shook a hoof at the other girl
"Aww it was only seven, Pash! And I could've done eight! But noooo, Phoebe said I had to get back to the gym!"
"Well, anyways" Cherry shrugged as she clipped her Poké Ball to her wetsuit. "I just finished my battle here with Benedict. Think you two can take him on?"
"Oh, we will!" Pashmina clapped her hooves together. "In fact"
She looked over at Benedict and smiled
"You're a double battle type of guy, right?"
"Heck yeah I am!" Benedict got fired up. He grabbed two more Poké Balls and struck a pose.
Cherry looked over at her fellow trainers. She walked to the door and waved
"Think I'm gonna go out for lunch. Have fun with the battle!"
The other three trainers waved goodbye, then faced each other down.
Pashmina walked to one side of the gym. She wrapped a strong arm around Frita's shoulders and winked
"We've got this, right babe?"
"Hell yeah we do!"
Frita flashed a cheeky smile.
Benedict headed to the other side. He tossed both Poké Balls up and down
"Ladies first" he smirked.
The two girls smiled and nodded at each other; they held out two Poke Balls and shouted
"Vulpix, come on out!"
"COMBUSKEN, LET'S BLAZE IT!"
The two Pokemon popped out and landed on their feet, roaring at the same time. Combusken shadow boxed the air.
Benedict jumped and tossed his Poke Balls up
"Kenshiro, Freiza, it's on you!"
Kenshiro roared as he landed in front of his trainer, while Freiza stood in a battle pose and howled at the top of his lungs.
The gym trainers looked at each other and smiled with a nod.
Frita stepped forward and held her fist out
"Combusken, my dude, use Double Kick"
Combusken cawed as it leaped up from the waters. Its legs glowed light blue as it lunged towards Kenshiro.
"Kenshiro, stand your ground with Iron Head!"
The steel type planted himself down, his head glowing silver as he was ready to endure any hit coming this way.
Freiza yipped and jumped in front of his battling partner, flinching as he took the blunt of both kicks. The electric type landed back on the ground, snarling at his opponent as he pawed at the water.
"Great job, Freiza!" Benedict cheered on his Pokemon. "Now, Thunder Wave!"
Freiza snarled at Combusken, building up a circle of sparks around his muzzle.
"MaNECTRIC!"
He barked as he threw the electricity at his opponent.
Combusken yelped as the sparks latched around its body, bristling underneath its feathers. The fire type tried to shake off the attack, but flinched as the Thunder Wave zapped through its body.
Pashmina crossed her arms
"Okay, THAT I didn't expect" she shook her head. "Vulpix, Quick Attack!"
"Pix!"
Vulpix dashed across the battlefield, water splashing around as it landed a quick hit against Kenshiro.
"Iron Head!"
"Ar-ON!"
Kenshiro's head glowed white as he headbutted Vulpix in the chest. The impact forced Vulpix to fly backwards and land back into the water, the fox Pokemon shaking it off.
Benedict snapped his fingers; he had an idea!
"Kenshiro! Use Rock Tomb!"
"ArON!"
Kenshiro chirped as he summoned several large boulders from the ground. The rocks shot up through the floor, but seemingly missed the target. Or did it?
Freiza ran over, picked up Kenshiro by his neck, and turned his head up. The boulders cracked apart and fell across the battlefield, easily hitting both Vulpix and Combusken.
Hey, wait a minute, Benedict thought to himself. Didn't Rock Tomb only hit one Pokemon at a time unless…. This wasn't an ordinary Rock Tomb, it was Rock Slide!
"Vulp…." the fox Pokemon fell over from the Rock Slide, groaning as water splashed around its body.
Pashmina was stunned; her face went white as she returned Vulpix to its ball. She turned to Frita and grabbed her hoof
"Babe, it's up to you"
"I knowwwwww, babe!"
Frita stuck her tongue out and laughed. She turned back to Benedict
"Combusken, use Flame Charge!"
"Com-BUSK!"
The fire type cloaked its body in bright red flames, then lunged at Frieza.
"Stop it with Spark!"
Freiza jumped up, yellow sparks of electricity forming around his body. He lunged forward and tackled Combusken in the chest.
Combusken cried out as it fell backwards into the water, groaning from the electric attack. It tried to get back up on its feet, but collapsed back on the ground.
Frita pinched the bridge of her nose
"Aw, awwww!" she looked away as she returned Combusken to its ball.
Benedict whistled to his Pokemon, smiling as they ran up to him
"Awesome job, you two!"
"Aron, aron!"
Kenshiro stood on his back legs and waved his front legs in the air.
Freiza tackled Benedict, then nuzzled his trainer's arm.
"Heh, you guys!"
Benedict laughed as he sat up and hugged both his Pokemon.
Frita walked up to Benedict, calm despite the defeat of battle.
"That was some battle, huh?"
"Heh, yeah"
Benedict got back up on his feet. "I hope y'all and your girlfriend had fun"
Frita blushed hard
"Now wait a sec. Benedict, how'd you know she was my girlfriend?!"
"I mean, I saw y'all holdin' hands and callin' each other babe" Benedict pointed out. "In fact, y'all kinda remind me of my friends"
"Friends, huh?"
Pashmina walked over. "What are they like?"
"Well"
Benedict returned both of his Pokemon to their Poke Balls. He then pulled out his Rotom Phone. He found the best picture possible; it was him, Kidd and Tank sitting together on a bench. Their arms were wrapped around each other' shoulders.
"Tank's the one with the green hair, Kidd's the one in the coat. We've been travelin' through Hoenn for a while now"
Pashmina raised an eyebrow
"Are you sure you're just friends?"
Benedict blushed hard.
"Yeah, but I've been thinkin…maybe I like 'em more than friends"
"Both of them? Oh sweet, dude" Frita smiled back at Pashmina. "I thought the same about Pash first, but one thing led to another"
"Yep" Pashmina blushed as she smiled back at Frita. "Trust me, if you're in love with someone, I say just tell them. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? They'd just say no?"
Benedict sighed in relief. He felt like a cloud had lifted over him, and he was underneath the Hoennian sun.
"Hey, you're right!" he said. "In fact, I think I'm gonna tell both of 'em when I can! Thanks y'all"
"It's no prob, dude!" Frita cheered him on. "You got this!"
Pashmina wrapped an arm around Frita's shoulder
"If they say no, let me know so I can rip them a new one!"
"Oh, I will!"
Benedict yelled as he walked back to the changing room. He changed back into his street clothes, threw his backpack over his shoulder and headed out of the gym.
Tank sat down at a nearby bench. He pulled out his sketchpad and refined his Rotom's Charming Angels sketch. He fixed up Lopunny's proportions and added more detail to Medicham's face.
His Rotom phone rang. He picked it up
"Hello?"
"Hello, hello!" Tom Nook greeted him over the line. "I got the Spoink you caught. It's very helpful in my research, yes yes."
"Hey, I'm glad you got it!"
Tank said as he flipped to a new page. "We're in Lavaridge Town, it's really nice here"
"Lavaridge Town already, hm?"
Tom Nook asked. "Did you go to the onsen there?"
"Yep! It was really fun" Tank explained. "Well, until Benedict got into a fight with another trainer. He even went into the Pokemon spring"
Tom Nook laughed to himself
"Why am I not surprised," he shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, yes. Tank, I called because I have a favor to ask you"
"Yeah? What's up?"
Tank asked as he started up a new sketch.
"Since you're in Lavaridge, could you swing by Haina-Haina for me?" Tom Nook asked.
"I had a package sent there for all three of you, yes yes"
"Sure, I could swing by there!"
Tank closed up his notebook. "Is that near the gym?"
"Yes, it's in the same area as the gym," Nook explained. "If you look for a building with a cactus on the door, that's the one"
"Got it, thank you!"
Tank said before hanging up. He gathered his stuff and walked into one of the neighborhoods.
He looked around at a small area of stores; one of the buildings had a green cactus on the door. This must be it!
Tank pushed the door open, a small bell ringing above him.
The entire building smelled of pine incense. Faint smoke floated through the air, calming anyone who came inside. Bead curtains and tapestries hung from the ceiling, one tapestry showed a bunch of dancing Teddiursa.
He walked up to the counter
"Um, excuse me?" he called out.
"Be right with you, man!" someone else yelled from another room.
A hand popped out and pushed the green bead curtains aside. A purple cat walked through the beads and to the counter. He wore a pink floral button-up shirt, acid-washed black shorts and several beaded necklaces.
"How's it goin dude?" the cat asked. His breath smelled of catnip and hazy ash.
"Things are good, dude!" Tank explained. "Um, Professor Nook asked me to pick up a package here"
"Aren't we all lookin' for a package, man?" he snorted. "Yeah, it's right here"
He pulled it out from behind the counter.
"Thank you so much!"
Tank said as he grabbed the package. Huh, it felt pretty light, he thought to himself.
"No prob, man" the cat shrugged to himself. "Noooo prob at all." He waved as he watched Tank head outside.
Tank sat down at the same bench. He opened up the package; inside were three pairs of goggles with bright red lenses, some extra Poke Balls, and a handwritten letter. The letter read
"Hello hello!
You may be wondering what the goggles are for, yes yes. See, a colleague of mine told me about some rumored fossils in the Route 111 desert. Why I'd love to go, but unfortunately, we're busy with some other research. I figured these goggles would help all of you in the long run, yes yes.
Take care now!
Prof. Tom Nook"
Tank folded the letter and placed it back in the package. He rewrapped the package and put it in his backpack, then pulled out his sketchbook and went back to drawing. This time, he was working on drawing four bipedal Pokemon playing instruments.
"Hey, is that the Maximizers?"
Tank looked up from his sketchbook; he looked behind him, and saw Phoebe leaning over the bench.
"Oh, sorry, did I scare you?" Phoebe said as she messed with her ponytail.
"Yeah, a little bit"
Tank set his pencil down. "But, uh, yeah, it's the Maximizers!" He picked up his pencil, then went back to refining the poses. One of the Pokemon was screaming into a microphone.
"No way!"
Phoebe sat down next to him, her face lighting up in joy. "Hey, what's your favorite Maximizers song?"
"Hmm…." Tank stuck his tongue out as he added some musical notes. "Probably 'Down In Sugar Land'. I like its' guitar solo"
"Oh yeah, that one's awesome" Phoebe stretched. "So, uh, how long have you been drawing for?"
"About two years" Tank explained. He added some fur textures to one of the Pokemon. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Tank Pepper"
"Phoebe Crossfire"
Phoebe held her wing out. She smiled as the two animals shook hands.
"Hey, I think I saw you yesterday"
"You did?"
Tank looked up from his sketchbook.
"Yep!" Phoebe crossed her arms. "At that gyoza place"
She winked "Looks like you had a fun date there"
Tank blushed really hard, nearly dropping his pencil onto his book
"I mean, I wouldn't call it a date" he said. "They're just my closest friends"
"Ohhhh I see" Phoebe nudged him and winked. "For now, that is. Trust me, I know what love looks like"
"You do?" Tank shook his head. "I mean, how do you know?"
"I see it a LOT"
Phoebe explained. "Laughing at dumb jokes, real smiles, oh and plenty of blushing!"
Tank thought to himself; back in Fortree City, he went out to places with some friends, but they didn't feel as comforting as his latest adventures. Maybe his two best friends... were something more than friends?
After meeting back up, the boys went to a ramen joint for dinner; "I'll Shoyu The Way". The place looked similar to the Rustboro ramen place, but had Johtonian decore instead.
The boys ordered three different bowls; Tank got Vermillion-style shoyu with thick Spoink slices, Kidd ordered Jubilife-style miso with nori and corn mixed in, and Benedict had Goldenrod-style with lots of Farfetch'd onions.
Dinner came quickly, the boys digging in like a horde of Poochyena.
The animal behind the counter, an orange koala with big blue eyes, chuckled as she watched them clear off their bowls
"Geez, you guys forget to eat today or something?"
"No, ma'am" Tank said before slurping down more noodles. "I just really, really like ramen"
Kidd nodded as he gulped down his broth, while Benedict focused on clearing off the green onions.
After five minutes, the boys finished their first serving, set their bowls down, and groaned in happiness from the delicious food.
"So" the koala asked. "Ready for the tab?"
"No way!"
Benedict shook his head. "I'll take another bowl, but I'm doin' Vermillion-style this time!"
"And I'll get the Goldenrod style"
Kidd joined in.
Tank grabbed more Poke Dollars
"Jubilife for me, please"
"Got it"
the koala nodded. She yelled to one of the chefs
"HEY, JUBEI!"
An orange lion with a dark brown mane hollered, cutting up some green onions
"WHAT IS IT, CANBERRA?"
"I need one Goldenrod, one Jubilife and one Vermillion!"
Canberra hollered.
"Again?!"
Jubei groaned as he finished cutting the onions. He tossed them into a bowl of Goldenrod ramen.
"No, just make something else!"
Canberra snarked. "Yes, again!"
The boys laughed to themselves as they watched the two animals argue.
Ten minutes later, their second bowls arrived. Canberra set the bowls down, then grabbed the phone
"Y'hello, I'll Shoyu the Way, whatcha wanna get?"
She grabbed a notepad and wrote some notes on it
"Uh, huh...two orders of tempura, four bowls of tempura udon, two Jubilife bowls...got it. Aight, so your total is three thousand Poke Dollars, and it'll be ready in twenty minutes. Okay, see you then dude"
Canberra hung up the phone and set it down. She looked back at the counter
"Well I'll be a son of a Granbull!"
The boys looked up at her, the last of their noodles dangling from their mouths.
"Are you guys full yet?" she asked.
Tank slurped the rest of his noodles
"I'd like to go for one more bowl, please. This time, the Goldenrod bowl"
Benedict swallowed his noodles whole, then cleared his throat
"Same, but with Jubilife"
Kidd dropped his noodles into the bowl, but finished them off
"Vermillion for me"
Canberra's eyes widened. She slowly took the bowls back
"Got it"
After ten minutes, Canberra placed each bowl down
"Here you go, boys. Enjoy the third bowls"
"Thank you, ma'am!"
Tank smiled before he took one of the bowls. He waited for Benedict and Kidd, then started eating, this time a little slower.
While the boys slurped down their noodles, the doorbell rang. A red and blue ostrich walked into the building. He pulled some Poke Dollars out of his shirt pocket
"How you doin', Canny?" he asked.
Canberra snorted
"I'm fine, Kenny" she smiled and handed him a large white plastic bag. "Here you go"
"Thanks a million" Kenneth said as he handed her the Poke Dollars, then grabbed his meal and headed out.
"Was that...?"
Benedict asked after slurping up some noodles.
"Yep" Canberra nodded. "That there was Kenneth Crossfire!"
Benedict finished his ramen first, groaning in satisfaction from the delicious food
"Sweet. Guess y'all are friends for a while?"
"Not really"
Canberra explained. "Phoebe's one of my friends, and her parents are pretty chill. In fact he's a regular customer here"
Tank set his ramen down next, then wiped some broth off his mouth
"Oh that's cool. I guess he's not that bad of a guy then"
"Yeah" Canberra shrugged. "The whole peeping tom thing was stupid. Did you know the hot spring owners banned every Crossfire from there?"
"Even Phoebe?"
Benedict was confused. "But she's a freakin' gym leader"
"I know, that's what I said!"
Canberra yelled a little.
After paying for their meals, the boys headed back to the Pokemon Center. They healed their Pokemon, went to their room for the night and spent most of their evening watching shonen anime on TV. Later, the boys had fallen asleep in the middle of their marathon; the glow of the TV bright against the rest of the room.
Kidd woke up early the next morning. He snuck out of the Pokemon Center before the sun rised. The air was nice and calming, while few clouds were in the dark skies. Kidd rummaged through his bag and pulled a green striped bag. He opened up the bag and pulled out several clothes; a pair of black cokebottle glasses, green zip-up jacket, orange tank top, ripped black pants, and a pair of combat boots. Kidd looked at the clothes; now this made him look a smart guy! Hey, speaking of smart...
He grabbed one of his Poke Balls and tossed it up
"Libra, now!"
The psychic Pokemon popped out of the ball. She looked around at her surroundings; hey, it's still dark out. The heck?!
Kidd ripped open a package of matcha-flavored Poke Blocks. He showed the candy to his Pokemon
"Here, you wanna try some?"
"Kada?"
Libra looked down at the sweets and sniffed them. She liked the rich matcha smell; just the scent alone made her feel more energized.
She scooped up one piece with her spoon and gave it a small bite; the texture was light and chewy, while the flavor was rich with a bitter hint. It tasted… just right!
Libra scarfed down the rest of the Poke Blocks, only stopping when she finished the last piece.
Kidd made a mental note to himself; get more matcha blocks for Libra. After returning Libra to her ball, Kidd walked over to the Lavaridge Town Contest Hall.
He looked around the building; the lights were dimmed while the architecture looked just like the Slateport City contest hall. Only two other animals were inside, both of them the receptionists.
He walked up to the counter. The two receptionists were a pink hippo and yellow anteater. The anteater waved first
"Hey there, can I help you with something?"
"Sure" Kidd pulled out his contest pass. "What time is today's contest?"
The pink hippo smiled
"It's at one thirty, hun"
Kidd looked at his Rotom Phone and frowned; ugh, how was it only six fifteen AM?!
"Interesting" he put his phone back down. "And what category is it?"
"It's cleverness, sweetie" the hippo explained. "Would you like to enter a Pokemon for the contest?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do"
Kidd pulled out Libra's Poke Ball and set it down.
The anteater tapped away at her laptop
"Okay, great news Kidd!" she smiled. "You and Libra are both registered for today's contest!"
"Good"
Kidd nodded as he took his Poke Ball back. "I'll be here at one"
"See you then!"
the anteater waved goodbye.
Several hours later...
The boys had breakfast, got ready for the day and walked over to the contest hall. Benedict and Tank found great seats near the stage, while Kidd stood backstage, ready to seize the day.
Lottie walked up to the stage. She adjusted the microphone
"Hi everyone, and welcome to today's cleverness contest! Give it up for today's coordinators!"
The crowd clapped as each trainer walked up to the stage, their Pokemon standing closely next to their trainers.
"First up: Shari Aboli from Hammerlocke, and Raspberry the Roselia"
A grey monkey waved to the crowd, her Pokemon twirling in her spot. She wore an elegant pink sari, while her Roselia wore thick black glasses.
"Axel Gogo from Mauville City, and Pringle the Swalot!"
A blue elephant in a red suit posed underneath the stage lights, while a large purple Pokemon carelessly yawned behind him.
"Kidd Chavignol from Lumiose City, and Libra the Kadabra!"
Kidd bowed to the audience, while Libra elegantly hovered her spoon above her body.
"And last, but not least, our very own Shino Kanayuki, and Karukaru the Kecleon!"
Shino bowed in her spot, while her Kecleon stuck its tongue out before disappearing in a flash.
The audience clapped afterwards, watching in anticipation as the curtains fell.
While several contest hall employees cleared the stage, the coordinators talked amongst themselves.
"Hm, I don't know about any of you, but"
Shino turned her head up. "I'm already going to win this"
"What? No way" Axel snorted with a laugh. "It took me three days to get here, AND Pringle just evolved. Right, buddy?"
"Swaaa-LOT!" Pringle clapped his stubby little paws together.
Kidd looked over at Shari
"If I were those two, I'd be saving energy for the REAL show"
"Yeah, you're telling me!"
Shari said as she adjusted part of her dress.
"Five minutes for all trainers' Pokemon to be on stage!" somebody yelled.
The stage was now set up to resemble a kitschy game show. Lights flashed in the background. Each Pokemon stood behind a large booth.
"Our first round is the Quiz Round!"
Lottie explained. "This short quiz will test these Pokemon on various Pokemon trivia!
Our first question: Which of these Pokemon is a Dragon type"
The screen showed four results: Charizard, Gyarados, Altaria and Aerodactyl.
The timer ticked slowly. Roselia tapped its hand on the table, while Swalot stood still and began sweating. Kecleon gradually faded transparent.
Libra snapped her fingers and pressed the yellow button.
She pointed her spoon at the Altaria on-screen
"And Libra the Kadabra says Altaria…"
Lottie's face lit up
"Which is correct! One point for Libra!"
A bell dinged from the speakers.
The audience calmly clapped in approval, several animals nodding to themselves.
"Second question: Who's that Pokemon?"
The screen now showed a round black circle, with nothing popping out.
"Is it..." Lottie read a card
"Spheal, Voltorb, Jigglypuff or Marill?"
Karukaru slammed her button first. She pointed at Jigglypuff and yelled
"Kecl-ke!"
"Karukaru says Jigglypuff..." Lottie gasped. "And she is correct! One point for Karukaru!"
Karukaru cheered to herself, while Libra facepalmed. Of course. It had to be seen from above!
"Final question: Which of these two Pokemon are in the same evolution line?"
The screen changed to show several Pokemon duos: Tauros and Bouffalant, Luvdisc and Alomomola, Remoraid and Octillery, and Arbok and Seviper.
Karukaru and Libra slammed their buttons at the same time.
"Ke-kecle!"
Karukaru pointed at Arbok and Seviper
"Kada!"
Libra pointed her spoon at Remoraid and Octillery.
"Karukaru says Arbok and Seviper...Libra says Remoraid and Octillery..."
Lottie folded her paws together, before flashing a smile at the audience.
"And Libra is correct! Two points for Libra, one point for Karukaru, and no points for Pringle or Raspberry!"
The curtain fell behind Lottie. She adjusted her bun before explaining
"And that concludes the Quiz Round! Stay tuned for the Talent Round, everyone!"
"First up, Raspberry the Roselia!"
The stage was now set up to resemble an elaborate maze. Holes were in the floor, all of them following a perfect linear pattern.
Raspberry stood in the center, smiling to the audience. She held her hands up in the air, small clouds of yellow spores forming from her roses.
The rose Pokemon twirled in her spot, forming a makeshift bridge with Stun Spore. She tiptoed across the spores, her petite form focused on leaping to safety.
Raspberry made it out of the hole maze, then bowed to the audience. One trainer tossed a rose onto the stage, while others clapped in approval.
"Next up: Libra the Kadabra!"
The stage was cleared away to reveal a dark brown glass box filled with clear water. Some of the trainers whispered to themselves, refusing to believe what they were seeing.
Libra hovered in front of the box. She wore a white straitjacket around her body, while her whiskers were tied back with a plain black scrunchie. Her spoon was tucked away in her straitjacket, the thick padding keeping it against her chest. The psychic Pokemon teleported herself inside the box, her body hanging upside down.
A timer started; the clock reading '180'.
The crowd watched as she used Confusion solved her first puzzle, her composure stiff as a branch. The key unlocked with a small ding, the water ebbing back and forth in its spot.
Her straitjacket floated up to the water, the audience captivated by Libra's steady composure.
With the timer now reading '150', Libra closed her eyes. Her mind flashed back to the novel she read yesterday; steadying her focus on the cell. But just how did that Alakazam do it...
A-ha!
Libra's eyes glowed pink as she used Confusion on the cell itself. Nuts, bolts and screws flew off the box, flying away like fireworks. Once the last side was undone, the entire box unfolded on itself. Each side fell to the ground with a thud, while the water splashed away from the cell. She used her telekenesis to float the water away from the captive audience, then evaporated it with two finger snaps.
Libra turned herself back upright, then held her spoon above her head. She sung out
"Kadaaaaa!"
The audience stayed quiet. Several animals murmured to each other, before the entire crowd burst into cheer. Applause echoed through the entire Contest Hall, six trainers tossing entire bouquets to the stage.
Libra closed her eyes and bowed like a prince, the curtain falling in front of her.
"Next up, Pringle the Swalot!"
Several glass walls were formed in a Fibonacci spiral, with Swalot standing in the middle. The poison type held his chin up, feeling like he was on the top of the world.
The poison type inched backwards, opened his mouth and used Poison Gas. The bright purple gas knocked down the first glass panel, forcing the second panel to tremble in its spot.
Swalot used Poison Gas again, this time much harder. The other glass panels fell over one by one, falling like dominoes without breaking into pieces.
Several audience members oohed and aahed after the last glass panel fell. The applause was louder than Raspberry's performance, but nowhere near Libra's reception.
"Our final performer, Karukaru the Kecleon!"
The curtain lifted to reveal Karukaru balancing on a wooden pole. The entire stage had a dozen poles set up, varying in height.
Karukaru took a deep breath in. She hopped onto another pole, her body changing color as she used Camouflage. She stood still, looked at another pole, and blindy leaped through the air. Her body trembled as she almost slipped off the wooden surface. Karukaru turned purple as she regained her balance.
Once resettling on the same pole, she frontflipped through the air and nimbly landed on one foot.
The audience clapped in approval, impressed by Karukaru's nimble feat.
The curtain fell in front, then Lottie walked onto the stage.
"And that was Karukaru's performance. Stay tuned for the winner!"
After the last intermission...
Lottie walked back on stage, holding an envelope in front of her. She stood in front of the microphone and cleared her throat
"And the winner of today's contest is…"
The four trainers stood still, anticipation swept across them. Axel carelessly shrugged, Shari fixed her makeup in a compact mirror, Shino adjusted her kimono sleeves, and Kidd readjusted his glasses.
Lottie tore the envelope open, pulled out a letter and read it before announcing to the crowd
"Kidd Chavignol of Lumiose City! Congratulations!"
Kidd gasped in surprise. He walked up to the edge of the stage, feeling like he was stuck in a trance. Libra hovered behind him.
"Oh my Arceus" Kidd thought to himself before holding onto the microphone. His cheeks glowed pink "Um, thank you all so much!"
One of the contest staff walked on stage. They handed a ribbon to Libra, who held it delicately in her paws. The ribbon was green with gold stripes and a lightbulb badge in the middle.
"So, how does it feel to win your first contest?"
Lottie smiled. "Tell us about it!"
"It feels" Kidd gulped as he looked at the crowd. All eyes were on him, like he was a Wurmple in a crowd of Swellow.
"Amazing. But of course, Libra did all the work, right?"
"Kadabra!"
Libra cheered, tossing her spoon up in the air. She felt relieved at how successful she was today.
"And, um, I'd like to thank my other Pokemon!" Kidd looked into the crowd. "Aquarius, Aries and Scorpio!"
The three Pokemon cheered from the middle of the audience.
"PIKA PIKA!"
"Bagon, bag!"
"Marrrrrsh-tomp!"
"And… and…." Kidd choked up. The whole place was closing in on him, like a Wailord swallowed him whole.
He shook his head to clear up his thoughts.
"I'd like to thank my two best friends"
He smiled at the crowd
"Benedict and Tank! Without you two by side, I wouldn't have even thought of being a coordinator."
The crowd clapped in approval, a few animals whistling in approval.
Kidd sighed in relief, before muttering several words that he didn't think the microphone would pick up.
"And I love you guys"
Everyone went silent. The microphone's reception squeaked. Several animals whispered to each other, some of them laughing to themselves.
Kidd gulped before realizing what he said. The contest hall closed in on him again. Glaring lights, harsh whispering, is this how it all ends? Four little words ruining his entire stunt as a coordinator?!
He returned Libra to her ball, ran off the stage, and locked himself in the dressing room. His heart pounded like he drank two cups worth of espresso. Why were these stupid lights still on?!
He sat down at one of the chairs, gripping onto the table edge like his life depended on it.
Everything raced through his mind; the other coordinators making up rumors, being banned from other contest halls, Benedict and Tank leaving him for good. Why did he have to say those four little words?!
The last time he told someone he loved them…
"Oh, uh, thanks"
Aloe looked away. She stashed the envelope in her bag, not even looking at it. The squirrel walked back to class, frowning the whole time.
Kidd felt his throat close up. He hoped she read the letter, but his heart told him that she probably threw out the letter. He looked over his shoulder; was Raymond LAUGHING at him?!
No. No, he was!
"Looks like someone got rejected!~" Raymond sang in glee. He adjusted his glasses and smirked, "Besides, I know that Aloe likes me better!"
"Hey, screw off, Raymond!" Kidd snapped back. "Aloe has standards!"
"Yeah, that's why she doesn't love you!" Raymond scoffed. "You'd have to be an idiot to believe that anyone with standards would fall for someone like you! I mean, look at you! What, with your disgusting horns and weird teeth and chipped hooves"
Kidd was seething. He stood forward and pushed Raymond over
"Just. Just SHUT UP, RAYMOND!"
Kidd let go of the table. He placed his arms on the table, buried his face in his elbows, and choked out into sobs. Why did this have to happen NOW?!
"Pika?"
Kidd looked up from the table. Aries must've released herself at some point, he thought.
"Oh, hey Aries," Kidd sighed.
"Sorry you have to see me like this"
"Pika, pika" Aries patted him on the shoulder. Her small paws felt relieving on his coat.
Kidd opened up his arms. He watched as Aries jumped down for a hug. She cooed and nuzzled herself against her trainer's body. Her soft fur was warm to the touch.
The room finally opened up again. Kidd looked around; oh, it's just a dressing room. The lights were off, but nothing had changed from when he stormed in there.
Someone knocked on the door
"Kidd! You okay in there?"
"Yeah"
Kidd stood up, still holding Aries in his arms. He walked over and unlocked the door.
Benedict and Tank stood in the doorway, both looking worried.
"So, uh, what happened back there?" Benedict asked. "Y'all wanna talk 'bout it?"
Kidd looked down
"Yeah. I think I do"
The two boys walked inside, Tank closed the door, then went to sit down on a couch.
Kidd headed back to his seat. He continued to pet Aries, who wagged her tail in joy.
"When y'all said you loved us, was that—?" Benedict asked before being interrupted.
"Yeah, it is," Kidd blushed hard. "I said that, because both of you make me happy"
He smiled a little before frowning again
"But the last time I told someone I loved them, they didn't say anything"
"That sucks" Tank was all ears. "You wanna tell us what happened?"
"Well" Kidd glanced up. "It was my friend, Aloe. I had this huge crush on her, and I wanted to write her a letter. So, I did. She looked confused, but she didn't talk to me after I gave her the letter. Then she moved to a different school, so…"
He grabbed onto his coat collar.
"I was worried you guys would do the same."
The room was silent as everyone thought about it.
"Kidd, why would we leave you over something like that?" Tank asked. "I mean, think about it. We've stuck by you for a while!"
"Yeah, an' besides!" Benedict assured him. "Think of all the stuff we did together! Heck, I'm surprised y'all were the one to say somethin' 'bout it first!"
"Wait, what?!"
Kidd asked, furiously blushing as he flew back in his chair. "You—"
"Yep!" Benedict placed a wing on his chest. "I love both y'all"
Tank stayed quiet the whole time, looking away from everyone else.
"I mean" he placed a hoof on the back of his neck. "I wouldn't be lying if I said I liked traveling with you guys for a reason. Plus, we did a lot together! Pokemon battling, traveling on a boat, all those times we went out for food"
Kidd brought up an earlier incident
"And staying at Hotel Corsola, when they only had one bed"
"Oh, an' what 'bout before we went to Route 112"
Benedict joined in. "THAT took a load offa my shoulders''
"Hey, yeah!"
Tank said. "And the hot spring today was fun"
"It really was"
Kidd nodded. "In that, that reminds me..."
He got up plucked two flowers out of a vase; a blue hollyhock and a green camellia. He held the flowers out and cleared his throat
"Tank Pepper, Benedict Sussex. Will you guys go out with me?"
The two boys looked at each other, smiled and nodded.
Tank stood up first. He took the green mum from Kidd's hooves, blushing softly as he looked at Kidd.
"Of course, dude!"
He wrapped his arms around Kidd, nearly lifting him off the ground.
"Aw, what the heck!" Benedict jumped up and joined in the group hug, his wings tightly squeezing everyone else like a Seviper at its prey.
In that moment, everything felt like the calm breeze after a heavy storm. Aries jumped up and cheered in joy. After seeing her trainer break down, it warmed her heart to see him back on his feet again, and with a new change of heart.
Aries danced around the room, wagging her tail like she just won an important battle. First her friend Libra won a contest, then her trainer won his way into getting a pair of boyfriends. They really were in the point of no return.